Greater Minnesota collaborative works toward creating climate resilience plan
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Scientists say climate change is oftentimes reflected in extreme weather events.
But many Minnesotans may not just be bearing witness, some are experiencing it, through derecho storms, wildfires, flooding and widespread drought, which could all be signs there’s an imbalance.
All of these weather events are compelling a collaboration of organizations in northern Minnesota to address concerns related to climate change.
“We are experiencing longer, prolonged droughts. We’re also seeing some more intense and severe storms here in Bemidji,” said Anna Carlson, an environmental studies professor at Bemidji State University. “We definitely are still reeling from the derecho that happened in the summer of 2025.”
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The derecho downed an estimated 9 million trees in Beltrami County. While clean-up efforts have been successful in the city of Bemidji, many fallen trees still remain in remote, hard-to-reach areas of the county.
Carlson said one climate impact local leaders are continuing to discuss as a result of the storm is “the increased level of wildfire risk” amid drought conditions.
According to Carlson, Bemidji State University has been looking at its own contributions to climate change and has developed a plan to reduce carbon emissions at the university.
“It’s really thinking about how we prepare ourselves and our communities in a changing climate,” Carlson said.
Bemidji State University is now expanding its planning around climate change by joining up with the North Woods and Waters Community Resilience Collaborative. It’s a project spanning eight counties in northern Minnesota from the Arrowhead to the Headwaters regions.
The goal of the project is to create a plan for building climate resilience throughout the region.
“Resilience isn’t just about climate change, and it isn’t just about preparing for the next storm or the next flood or drought or wildfire,” Carlson said. “It’s really about whether our communities have the relationships and the knowledge, and capacity to respond to change.”
Sharing strategies and resources
The Arrowhead Regional Development Commission is leading the project. It’s based in Duluth, in a part of Minnesota where climate change may be contributing to the increasing intensity of wildfires.
Sean Bartlett, the commission’s planner, said one of the strategies of the regional resilience collaborative will be having participants draft a preparedness plan. It might outline evacuation routes and communication channels for weather-related emergencies and assign responsibilities to individuals in the community.
“We really know that it's going to be the relationships of the collaborative that are going to be advancing those strategies,” he said.
Bartlett added once the strategies have been identified and put in place, they will be followed for decades to come. And while the plan won't carry any regulatory power, that’s not its intent.
“It’s really going to be tailored more towards the community level,” he said. “So local governance as well as potentially some local community organizations, but really, it's for those who are seeking some guidance.”
Climate impacts don't adhere to borders. Bartlett says that's one reason for making a regional collaborative. He uses the example of the spruce budworm, a species native to the state. He said an overgrowth of Douglas fir has led to a bad outbreak of the pest. And coupled with climate change and a surplus of food, there’s no telling how long it will continue.
Bartlett said regional communication can help with managing it.
“Right now, in the northeast region in the Northland Climate Resilience Collaborative, they are talking about spruce budworm and what sort of response might be to something like that,” Bartlett said. “As spruce budworm migrates, that may be something that the development from the Northland Climate Resilience Collaborative becomes relevant to the North Woods and Waters, and vice versa.”
The North Woods and Waters Community Resilience Collaborative’s final draft will be completed by June of 2029.
